Glimpses
by prettydisaster75
Summary: The Titans don't always fight crime. A collection of one-shots based on the things that happen between the fighting.
1. Duality

Duality (n) – a dual state or quality

Beast Boy was on his rock, his feet dangling over the edge and his hands playing with loose stones next to him. He had been there for a good half-hour, long enough to draw the attention of the empath. She was mildly interested when he didn't show up to breakfast, and then concerned enough to go searching for him when he didn't interrupt her while she read.

She picked her way over the rocky landscape, purposely making a decent amount of noise so as to alert him to her approach (not that his heightened senses couldn't smell the tea and lavender that seemed to be permanently part of her scent).

"I'm too animal to be human, and too human to be any animal. Is there a word for that?" Beast Boy asked softly, not looking at her. He flicked a pebble into the water. Raven settled herself next to him, floating above the rocks cross legged.

"Duality," she said after a moment, just as softly. "Cyborg feels it too, it's why he builds things."

"Do you feel it?" he asked, waiting for her to close up and tell him to stop worrying. He glanced at her, his head cocked to the side. He watched the emotions flicker through Raven's eyes. Hesitation, a little anger, sadness, then finally, resolve.

"Sometimes. Robin and Star are always so sure of themselves. And when they're tired of being heroes, they can slip into real life easily. The three of us can't. That's when I feel it the most." Raven tucked a piece of hair behind her ear and stared at the waves crashing on the rocks just beyond their spot. Beast Boy opened his mouth to say something when the alarm went off. He sighed and stood up, then reached a hand down to Raven. She took it and teleported them to the T-Car.

"Duality," he said, almost as if tasting it. Just as the door to the garage opened, he glanced at Raven next to him and whispered a quick "thanks." If the others heard, he would say it was for the teleporting. He was sure he saw a small smile and a nod from Raven before she turned away.

The next morning, a new box of tea was sitting on the kitchen counter and the water was already in the kettle. A small green kitten was asleep by the window in a patch of sun. Smiling to herself, Raven fixed her tea and settled on the couch to read.

When the rest of the team entered the room, they noticed the new box of tea, Raven, and the small kitten. Only now, the kitten was next to Raven, enjoying her absentminded petting while she read. Robin and Star glanced at each other while Cyborg shrugged and went towards the kitchen to fix breakfast. No one wanted to ruin the peace while it lasted.


	2. Bete Noire

Bete Noire (n) – a person or thing especially disliked or dreaded

Raven woke up so fast it took her brain a few seconds to catch up. She stared around her room wildly, running a shaky hand through her hair. The dark room seemed to crowd her, and the shadows seemed to move. She couldn't see her hand in front of her face. Mentally, she reached out for her friends.

As always, Robin was the first to find. Their bond made finding his aura the easiest. She took a few deep breaths, matching his even rate. He was sound asleep in his room.

Starfire was next. The alien was hyper-emotional during the day, and only slightly less so at night. She too was in bed, as was Beast Boy. His aura was equally bright, and Raven for once was grateful.

Cyborg, being only partially human, was always the hardest to find, especially at night when he was usually offline. Raven reached out farther, her panic growing when she realized he wasn't in his room. The wind picked up and a few books began to levitate. Raven reached for her communicator to sound the alarm when she found him in the garage. The panic faded almost immediately. Raven glanced at the clock – 4:37 AM. She chewed on her lower lip, debating between going back to bed and going to the garage. Sighing, she flipped the sheets off and left her room.

Down in the garage, Cyborg worked happily underneath his baby. He had reached full charge around 3 AM, and decided his car needed some TLC. He heard the door swish open.

"Hey Rae. Couldn't sleep?" He asked, not moving out from under the car.

"How did you know it was me?" she asked, peering under the car at him. He grinned at her.

"Only you would be up in the middle of the night, plus no one else really comes down here unless they need me for something. And they could easily call me" Cyborg said, finally sliding out from under the car. He sat up and faced Raven as she leaned against the counter. Her hood was down and he could see she was tired. Raven wouldn't meet his eyes, and she folded her arms. "Want to talk about it?" he asked her.

"No." she said.

"Fine." Cyborg shrugged. "There's some old shirts in the drawer to your left. We need to fix the engine, and upgrade the fuel cells. Might get messy." He pushed himself back under the car and heard Raven pull a shirt over her head. They worked in relative silence for a while, only talking when necessity dictated it. True to his word, grease and oil got all over both of them.

"I want to repaint my room" Raven said, after a while. Cyborg nodded.

"We can do that. What color were you thinking?" He asked, glancing over at her. Raven shrugged. Cyborg had lived with the dark girl long enough to know that it wasn't paint color that had brought her to the garage at 4:30 in the morning. "What about light grey?" he suggested.

"I think that would work," She said. "Do you think…" Raven trailed off, deciding not to ask whatever question was on her mind.

"I think we can definitely get it done before Beast Boy wakes up, so he won't bother you. Or get in our way." Cyborg said, ignoring the question she hadn't asked. "And if we start before Star notices, she won't badger you into getting pink walls."

"Thanks Cyborg." Raven said softly. Cyborg tightened one last bolt, then stood back.

"How about we go fix some breakfast? I'll make ya some waffles and tea, and then we can go to the store." Cyborg glanced down at his little sister, covered in grease, but smiling slightly. Raven nodded, and Cyborg put an arm around her shoulder. Together they walked into the kitchen.

A few hours later, Raven was covered in grey paint in addition to the grease stains, but the smile on her face couldn't be denied. Cyborg grinned back at her as he wiped paint off his arm.

"Looks great guys." They turned to see Robin leaning against the doorframe. "Need any help?"

"Nah we're good bro. But maybe you could fix us some lunch? I didn't realize it was almost noon!" Cyborg responded. Raven rolled her eyes. Robin smiled and shook his head.

"Lunch is coming right up. Then don't forget training after that!" He reminded, then walked away. The two Titans turned back to finish up their work.

Cyborg hoped the new paint meant there would be fewer nighttime visits from his little sister. As much as he loved her, he hated knowing that nightmares woke her up at odd hours.


	3. Anxiety

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Titans, I only enjoy writing about them :) Also, I took a few liberties with this one, including having BB and Rae in a relationship already. Writing about Rob and Star is new for me, so I'm not so sure how I feel about this one! I think I like it though. **

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Anxiety (n) – distress or uneasiness of mind caused by fear of danger or misfortune

Robin woke up with a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach. It could have been the storm that had been brewing over the past week finally hit Jump City, bringing thunder and rain that were likely to last for a while. It could have been the late night calls the team had gotten three days in a row. It could have been the nagging feeling that he was unprepared for something.

It was most likely all of these things. And he hated it.

Robin ran his fingers through his hair and headed to the kitchen for a cup of coffee. He hoped against hope that Raven had started the coffee pot for him, but she had been in a mood ever since Beast Boy had taken a fairly bad hit against Adonis. Robin wanted to be annoyed, but he knew if it had been Starfire, he would have felt the same way.

Raven was sitting at the table, sipping her tea and watching Beast Boy with mild disgust. He was slurping his cereal faster than he probably should. Cyborg was cooking bacon and eggs, and Starfire was making something with mustard. Robin strode over to the coffee pot and was surprised to find a steaming mug sitting next to it, ready for him. Before he could ask, Starfire flew up to him.

"Glorious morning, boyfriend Robin!" She exclaimed. "I hope you enjoy the Joe Cup I made for you." Cyborg chuckled.

"It's Cup o' Joe, girl." He explained, taking a plate of food to the table. "And don't ask me who Joe is."

"I see." Star said solemnly, tucking the information away to analyze later. "Boyfriend Robin, what shall we do today? A picnic in the park? A journey to the mall of shopping? A lovely dinner and dancing? Travel to an exotic city with fireworks?" With each suggestion, Star floated higher and higher, encroaching more and more into Robin's personal space.

"Star, cut it out!" Robin finally exclaimed, moving away from her. The room fell silent. Star landed on the ground with a thump, her jaw falling open. For a second, hurt and pain flitted across her face, then she turned away from Robin.

"Friend Beast Boy, would you like to go to dinner and the movies with me?" Star asked. Beast Boy choked on a bite of cereal, and Raven elbowed him in the side.

"Umm… I…sure?" he said, coughing a bit more. Robin felt his face go hot, anger starting to boil in his veins. He wanted to ask what the hell was going on. The ball of dread in his stomach seemed to grow.

"Wonderful. I will pick you up at 6." Star said, then she strode out of the room without a backward glance.

"I'm gonna go patrol…or something." Beast Boy said, running out of the room. Raven continued to sip her tea and Cyborg just looked at Robin.

"Way to go Boy Blunder." Raven said. Robin whirled around at her.

"Me? I didn't do anything wrong!" Robin yelled. "You let your boyfriend agree to a date with my girlfriend!"

"You're the one who forgot your own anniversary." Raven explained, raising an eyebrow but otherwise not rising to the bait. The color drained from Robin's face.

"What?" he asked dumbly. Cyborg snorted.

"Man, you've been dating for 2 years now. You couldn't even remember one date?" Robin moved slowly over to the table and sat down with his head in his hands.

"Maybe she didn't know what she was saying? What it meant? Maybe she just thinks that on an anniversary you're supposed to have fun?" He said, mumbling mostly to himself.

"Oh for God's sake Robin. She knew exactly what she was doing. Don't belittle Starfire's intelligence by saying otherwise." Raven snarled, suddenly angry. She stood up, her chair sliding back roughly. "Fix this. Sooner rather than later." With that, Raven pulled her hood up and stormed out of the room.

"What did I do to her?" Robin asked, exasperated.

"Well, I can't imagine she feels too good with Starfire's sadness and anger beating up against her empathy skills, and then you blamed her for 'letting' BB say yes to Star, and then you insulted one of her best friends. Girl probably has one of her headaches on top of being tired like all of us." Cyborg explained, gathering his dishes and taking them to the sink.

"I'll buy her some tea to apologize." Robin grumbled.

"I think you should probably be a little more concerned with Starfire being angry with you." Cyborg said under his breath.

"I don't know what to do!" Robin moaned. Cyborg sighed and loaded his dishes into the dishwasher. He turned around and leaned against the sink, folding his arms.

"Look man, just take her to the pier for a nice dinner and a walk on the beach."

"We did that last month." Robin muttered. "I need something new and special."

"Okay… what about going to visit Chicago, and take her to some museums?" Cyborg suggested. Robin pulled his head out of his hands.

"That might work…she does love to learn about Earth."

"Good. Now go apologize and get your butt to Chicago. And don't call us. We can handle the city for a few days. Everyone's in jail anyways." With that, Cyborg left Robin to his thoughts.

30 minutes later, Robin stood in front of Raven's door with a peace offering in hand. He knocked lightly, and began speaking before she could answer the door or tell him to go away.

"Raven, I'm sorry. I never should have insulted Star or Beast Boy, you were right." She opened the door and leaned against it with her arms crossed. She didn't look angry, per se, and that convinced Robin to continue. "I know Star's anger and this week of crime is taking its toll on you." Raven narrowed her eyes and opened her mouth to retort. "Wait! I didn't mean that to sound insulting. I'm screwing everything up today. I just wanted to let you know that I was sorry for being insensitive earlier, and if you'll forgive me and help me out, I would appreciate it very, very much. And I bought you your favorite tea if that helps." Robin handed her a box of passion fruit herbal tea. To his surprise and relief, a small smile pulled at the edges of her lips.

"I forgave you when you said I was right Boy Wonder, but thank you for the tea and the apology. How did you know this was what I liked?" she asked. Robin gave her a sheepish grin.

"I may have bribed Cyborg with new car parts to tell me what you like when you're upset. I didn't want to get anything else wrong today." He admitted.

"You said you wanted me to help you out. What all does that entail?" She asked him.

"Well, actually, I was hoping you could go to the mall with Star. Help her pack for a weekend with me in Chicago, but don't tell her. I want her to be in a good mood when I apologize to her and surprise her. Or at least not so much of a bad mood."

Raven made a face. "I just had to ask, didn't I? Fine, but only if you take my patrol night next Tuesday. Deal?"

Robin sighed, but smiled anyway. "Deal. Thanks Raven." She nodded, and turned back into her room.

"We will head to the mall this afternoon. Anything in particular she needs?" Raven called over her shoulder.

"We are going to a few museums, and then probably out to dinner." Robin answered, already heading down the hall to his room.

Raven changed into grey leggings and an ice blue sweatshirt. The rain continued to beat against the tower, and she wanted to be as comfortable as possible if she was going to have to venture to the mall with Star. Disappearing in a swirl of black magic, she reappeared outside Starfire's door.

"Star, it's me. Can I come in?" Raven called out.

"Of course friend. You are always welcome." Starfire responded, not sounding upset in the least. Raven took a deep breath, knowing that being in the same room as Star was going to push the bounds of her empathy. She slid the door open and walked into the bright pink room.

"Would you like to go to the mall with me Star?" Raven asked, twisting her fingers together and bracing for any emotional onslaught. Starfire looked up, taking in the civvies Raven wore, and smiled.

"Are you sure you want to do that Raven? I know it is not your favorite place to go."

"I need to get out of the Tower, and I think you do too. Let's go." Raven said, smiling a little bit. Starfire nodded and headed for the closet to find something to wear, then stopped. Raven felt her panic wash over her.

"What's wrong Star?" Raven asked, alarmed.

"Oh friend Raven, I have forgotten to do the apologizing! I should not have asked Beast Boy to go out with me, even to make Robin jealous. I truly hope you can accept my apology and you do not think that I am trying to be a boyfriend stealing glorbnak!" Tears began to well in Starfire's eyes.

"Star, I know what you were doing, you don't need to apologize. I know you wouldn't steal Beast Boy from me."

"Indeed my friend. He is like a younger brother to me and seeing the two of you happy makes me happy as well." Raven smiled at her.

"Go put something warmer on. It's still raining, and I can't cure the common cold."

While the girls were gone, Robin secured dinner reservations, museum tickets, and a hotel room for the weekend. He then snuck into Starfire's room and scattered rose petals everywhere, and left an invitation to join him for a weekend adventure on her bed where she would be sure to see it. He then returned and paced the length of his room, trying to come up with anything else he should do to win over Starfire's forgiveness. He was beginning to work himself into a panic when there was a knock on his door. Beast Boy stood on the other side.

"Hey dude, I just wanted you to know I wasn't really going to take Starfire out tonight. I wouldn't do that to anyone, much less you guys." Beast Boy looked like a little kid trying to prevent getting a punishment.

"Don't worry Beast Boy, Raven already chewed me out. Cyborg a little bit too. Although, why did you say ok?" Robin asked him.

"Saying yes to her was kind of a knee-jerk reaction. Not because I want to date her, but because she and I have gone to the movies before. Same as when you and Rae go to the coffee shop downtown sometimes. It's just something you do because the two of you need that. It's like a friendship thing." Beast Boy said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Plus, I was kind of counting on you figuring out a way out of this, seeing as it's your anniversary."

"Yeah well, who knows if there will be any more anniversaries after this." Robin sighed, sitting down on his bed.

"Aw come on dude, Star can't stay mad at you forever. She loves you." Beast Boy said.

"How can you know that? I can't believe I forgot our anniversary!"

"But you love her. And that gets you halfway there." Beast Boy grinned. "How come you think Raven stopped throwing me out the window when I annoy her? I tell her I love her, and make her some tea!" He chuckled. "Anyway, just be sincere, apologize, and promise to do better next time. Works for me every time!"

"Thanks BB. I owe you."

"We're cool dude. Just don't break Star's heart anymore ok?"

"I don't plan on it." Robin answered, feeling as if a weight had lifted. Beast Boy headed off to the main room to go play video games or something, waiting the arrival of the girls.

After a few hours of spending money at the mall, the girls returned home. Starfire had a new dress and a few new outfits, and she had even convinced Raven to buy a pretty but not skimpy black dress, under the condition that she needed one in case they were ever invited to a formal event. Raven hadn't bothered to argue too much, only because it made Star happy and secretly, she loved the dress.

They walked into Star's room to see what Robin had done.

"Oh my!" Star exclaimed, dropping her bags and snatching up the invitation. Her smile grew as she read. "Friend Raven did you know about this?" Star turned around and asked, but Raven just smiled and disappeared into a portal, waving as she went. Star packed a bag quickly, and at 5 o'clock on the dot there was a knock on her door. She opened it to reveal Robin looking casual but handsome in a button up shirt and dark jeans.

"Starfire, would you please accept my invitation to go to Chicago this weekend?" he asked her, blushing.

"I would love to Robin." She said, smiling brilliantly.

"Then let's go. We have a busy day planned at the museums tomorrow, and a plane to catch tonight." He extended his hand, and Star took it. He grabbed her bag and they took off for the garage. "Oh, and Starfire?"

"Yes Robin?"

"I am very sorry for snapping at you this morning, and for forgetting what today was. I love you, and I hope you can forgive me. It won't happen again, I promise." He said, remembering Beast Boy's advice.

"I love you too Robin, and I forgive you. We cannot be perfect all the time."


	4. After

**This one feels rough. Especially the end. I don't like how it ended. Oh well.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans**

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After (preposition) - subsequent to and in consequence of.

Looking back, she realized that she thought of everything in terms of _after, _like one of those old movies where the movements were jerky and uncoordinated.

After Cinderblock broke out of jail for the 273rd time. After Beast Boy made a lame joke, and Robin said something that was supposed to be intimidating but really wasn't. After Cyborg and Starfire hit Cinderblock at the same time, a tried and true move to bring him down.

After their tried and true move wasn't so true anymore.

After she threw her shield up, blocking debris from hitting Beast Boy. After it bounced off, and she grabbed it and threw it back at the giant nuisance. After Robin shot past her, all sorts of weapons at the ready.

After she realized she was staring at the blue sky above her, after she found herself on her back in the street.

After Star screamed, and the sound was a mix of rage and fear, and Beast Boy gasped for air, reeling at the sound of bones snapping and muscle tearing.

After she noticed the blood pooling near her, and she realized that it was too bright red to be her own.

After she heard Cyborg yelling at her to get up, to move, to react, but it all sounded so far away, and all she wanted to do was close her eyes and fight the headache that was currently growing. After Cyborg grabbed her arm and carefully pulled her to her feet, not letting go until he saw her gaze harden like steel, coming back into focus. After Cyborg told her to take Robin and _go_ for God's sake.

After she realized that Cyborg was giving her a direct order as second in command, and she had to obey. After she spun away from him, grabbed Robin, and disappeared in a wave of black magic faster than anyone had ever seen her react before.

After she reappeared in the Tower Med Bay, setting Robin on a bed and chanting her mantra before she even knew what injuries to address first. After she found two cracked ribs, a femur broken in three places, and torn ligaments, cuts, and scrapes all over. After she realized how much magic she was about to expend. After she started working methodically, keeping an eye on his vital signs. After she decided he needed a blood transfusion.

After she only found one pint of Robin's blood type in the med bay fridge (and wouldn't you know it, the boy was O negative.) After she realized the bond between them wasn't as strong as it had been that morning. After she clung to it like a life raft in the middle of the bay.

After she called Cyborg in a panic, while healing their leader, watching his vitals, and staying coherent through what she assumed was her own concussion. After Cyborg muttered a few choice words under his breath, and she heard the tires squeal as he took a turn too fast. After he told her to do her best for now and he would run to the hospital.

After neither of them offered reassurances to the other.

After she set the broken bones, sealed the cuts, repaired the ligaments, and stabilized the ribs. After she kept an eye on his blood count as best she could. After she started the one bag of blood running, hoping Cyborg would make it back with a new bag before this one ran out. After she twisted her fingers together, not quite praying (because she was half a demon, and had a cynical view of religion), but not quite just doing nothing either.

After Cyborg ran in, followed by a sobbing Starfire and a timid, quiet Beast Boy. After she told Beast Boy to take Starfire to the kitchen, because she could barely hear herself think over the sobbing (and then instantly regretted saying so).

After she finally noticed the color coming back into Robin's cheeks. After his breathing deepened and his heart rate slowed to normal. After Cyborg gently guided her to the contamination showers, to wash the blood off. After she stepped out, shivering, to find that Beast Boy was back, this time with her grease stained, but well-loved garage-working clothes to change into and a cup of tea to drink. After she collapsed into a bed next to Robin and allowed Cyborg to examine her own cuts and bruises, so that he could determine for his own peace of mind that she really wasn't any worse for the wear. After she asked Beast Boy to let Star back in.

After she apologized for snapping at Star, and promising that the Boy Wonder was going to be fine.

Only then, after everything that had happened that afternoon, did Raven allow herself to collapse onto the bed next to Robin. No one said anything when out of sheer exhaustion, she fell asleep, a small green kitten on the bed with her. Starfire and Cyborg kept watch over the two birds, and thus, the Titans spent the night in the Med Bay.

When Raven awoke, the kitten was gone, and Robin was awake. Star and Cyborg were nowhere to be found, although in the back of her mind, Raven knew they weren't far.

"Hey" Robin said, noticing she was awake. He stopped flipping channels and focused his attention on her.

"Hey" She said back, her monotone a little bit rough. She ran a hand through her hair, grimacing at the thought of still not being clean of dirt and blood. "What time is it?"

"9 PM. Tuesday." Robin answered, grinning a little bit. "We slept through all of Monday."

"I feel like I could sleep until Friday," she said. "Where is everyone?"

"Cy is recharging, Star is making dinner, I think, and I'm sure Beast Boy is keeping her from adding mustard to the soup."

Raven swung her legs over the side of the bed and walked over to Robin. She lifted her hand, encased in blue magic, and was about to heal more of Robin's ribs and leg when someone grabbed her wrist. She narrowed her glance at Beast Boy and opened her mouth to protest.

"Nope. No magic Rae. Cy's orders." Beast Boy said, with a certain air of smugness.

Raven nearly growled, but sat back down on her bed and accepted the cup of tea Star brought her. "Why does Cyborg think I shouldn't do magic?"

"Because you saved Robin's life, at the expense of your own healing." Cyborg answered, leaning against the door. "Robin is stable, so you don't need to do anymore. You need to heal yourself. I think you have a concussion, and I'm not willing to risk otherwise." He raised an eyebrow at her, and met her glare with his own. Raven frowned, but nodded, taking a sip of her tea. She set it down on the table next to her and lifted her hand to the back of her head, letting the cool healing magic take away the small headache.

"There. I'm fine now." She said, a little petulantly. Cyborg rolled his eye.

"You two are cleared to leave, so let's get out of here. And maybe next time Robin, you could try to be less reckless and not dive right under Cinderblock's foot."

The team left Robin fuming and Raven smirking in the Med Bay.


	5. Mourning

**Disclaimer: I still don't own the Teen Titans, and now I also don't own Super Mario. Enjoy, and apologies for the delay in posting!**

The Titans dealt with the day in different ways, as was to be expected. Even though they shared everything, it was understandable that when in mourning, they wanted to be alone. Every Mother's Day went the same.

Raven always woke early and left quickly, doing her best not to linger. If she did, she found that the sadness, anger, and guilt ate away at her until she was just as much of a mess as the rest of them. She drank her tea faster than normal, and often meditated for less than an hour. Robin was always the only other person awake, probably because he rarely slept the night before. Raven placed her hand on his shoulder on her way out the door, a backpack slung over her shoulder. She wore civvies and packed light.

"I'll be back tonight. Call me if you need me." She said softly. Robin nodded as she squeezed his shoulder.

"Say hello to Melvin and the boys for us." He asked quietly.

"Stay out of trouble, Wonder Boy." Raven advised, then disappeared into a portal. Robin always promised to call if there was trouble, but he knew Raven needed the space from all the emotions swirling around the tower just as much as Melvin and her brothers needed someone to help them forget about being orphaned. She'd only come home to a few cuts and bruises in years past, and that was certainly never a reason to call her home early.

Robin always spent the day in the city, exposing drug rings, stopping domestic abuse, and as the night wore on, breaking up bar fights. Although he hated to admit it, he enjoyed the rush of adrenalin he got from defending a helpless young woman or knocking out someone who threw a punch at him. If anyone thought he fought more aggressively on this day, they didn't mention it, and the Jump City Police certainly weren't going to turn down the extra help in the less affluent parts of the city. Like Raven, he stayed away from the Tower as long as possible, and usually didn't return until very early the next morning.

Starfire was always waiting up for him when he returned, no matter the hour. She offered him coffee (which he accepted) and whatever Pudding she had decided the day called for (which he declined).

Starfire was the only Titan not to wallow in sadness. She honored the memory of her mother with various foods and prayers. She took up residence in the common room, singing Tamaranean songs that were 46 verses long and watching cooking shows. Star kept a running dialogue going with Silkie, telling the pet stories of her mother.

"My mother was the greatest Queen of Tamaran. She was kind and firm at the same time, and she did not think people were silly or strange. She fought bravely along with my father to make Tamaran a safe place for my brother and sister and I." Starfire said as she made Pudding of Honor, Silkie crawling around the ground eating anything that fell on the floor. "She would have enjoyed my Pudding of Honor with the addition of mustard, and she would have told me not to stay awake until Robin came home. I am proud to be her daughter. Glorious morning friend Cyborg!" Star called as the metal Titan entered the room.

"Morning Star. What are you making this year?" He asked, keeping his distance from the mixing bowl in case it lunged at him.

"Pudding of Honor. It is most delicious. Would you like a taste?" She held the spoon out to him, and Cyborg eyed the neon pink substance.

"Maybe later Star. I'm headed out for a bit. Did our early birds leave for the day?" He asked, peering in the fridge for something a little more normal.

"I believe so. Raven said something about a museum of children? And Robin left a coffee mug in the sink."

"Jump City Children's Museum, Star. It's educational and fun for kids. Mel's been begging for months to go, so Rae must've finally caved in. Poor girl." Cyborg said. "I'll be back after lunch Star. See ya later."

Cyborg headed into Jump, his first destination a flower shop. The line was long, filled with men who'd had the same idea and were out buying flowers for their wives while the children were tugging on their sleeves, trying to pick the very best flowers. When Cyborg finally reached the counter, he smiled at the frazzled worker.

"8 pink Tulips please." He asked. "8's her favorite number." He added at the girl's quizzical look. She nodded and ran off, coming back quickly with the simple bouquet. Cyborg paid and left, heading toward the cliffs near the pier.

Cyborg parked at the bottom of the hill, and made his way up. The site was popular with the high school crowd on Friday nights, but was deserted on Sunday mornings. Sitting on the grass, Cyborg set the flowers at the base of a tree and watched the sun rise over the bay.

"Hey Ma, Happy Mother's Day. I miss you. I hope you're watching up there. Did you see us kick butt when the world ended? I hope I've been making you proud. I think you'd like my team. They're all really great people. Or aliens, if you choose to look at it that way. Anyways, are you with Gran and Grampa? If so, say hi to them for me. I'm sorry I couldn't make it to your grave this year. The T-car needs a bit of work, and I don't want to risk getting stuck anywhere." Cyborg swallowed past a lump in his throat. "I wish I could hug you one more time Ma, or cook with you, or just sit up here with you. You'd like this spot, you can see the whole city from here, and there isn't any noise to bother you when you watch the sky." Cyborg sat in silence for a while longer, flipping through old photos of his mother and staring at the ocean before him.

"I love you Ma." He finally said, standing up. Picking up the tulips, Cyborg dug a little hole near the base of the tree and planted them. Brushing dirt off his hands, he made his way back to the T-car and drove home.

Cyborg found Star in the same place he left her, albeit with more bowls of pudding than earlier. Deciding he didn't want to be forced to try any of it, he immediately turned around to go work in the garage. He was down there for only a few minutes when he felt the change in the air.

"Hey Rae. Have a good day?" he said from underneath the T-car.

"Exhausting" She deadpanned. Cyborg chuckled and rolled himself out from under the car. Raven had Timmy and Teether in both arms, and Melvin was curled up on a black disk of magic. All three were sound asleep, and even Raven looked ready to curl up and take a nap. Cyborg took Melvin from the disk, and Raven sighed in relief, nodding her thanks.

"How long have you been holding that up?" He asked, raising an eyebrow as they headed towards the elevator.

"They all fell asleep somewhere around a half hour ago. Carrying the boys wasn't so bad for a while, and then Melvin practically lay down on the sidewalk, so that's how she ended up getting carried as well. Has Beast Boy left his room yet today?" She asked.

"No, and I don't really blame him. Star made a ton of 'Pudding of Honor' that you'll want to stay away from."

"Good to know. I'm surprised she didn't try to get him to come out though." Raven mused, getting off the elevator. The two walked in silence to the common room.

They passed Beast Boy's room, and Raven stumbled, gasping. Cyborg yanked the back of her shirt to pull her upright and she teleported them to the common room.

"What the hell was that?" He practically cried, Star yelping when they appeared two feet from her. The Maulers stirred. Raven set the boys on the couch and Cyborg followed, then turned around to cross his arms and stare her down.

"He feels guilty. Very, very guilty." Raven said, rubbing her temples. "This is why I leave every year." She muttered.

"Maybe he would like some pudding!" Star said, floating off the ground in her excitement.

"NO!" Raven and Cyborg yelled hastily. Star landed hard on her feet.

"He probably just doesn't want to be bothered." Raven said quickly, trying to ward off any tears.

"Raven?" Teether said, yanking on her pants to get her attention. "Why are you all yelling?" He asked, rubbing his eyes. Raven knelt down to his level.

"Sorry Teether, we shouldn't have been yelling."

"Do you think Beast Boy would show Timmy and I how to play video games?" Teether asked.

"Yeah! We want to learn!" Timmy piped up from the couch. Raven glanced at him, noticing Melvin sitting up too, then looked up at Cyborg. He shrugged.

"You guys, you know how you miss your parents all the time?" Cyborg started, moving over to the couch to sit down. Raven and Star joined him.

"Well yeah, but we don't really remember them. Just stories that Melvin told us." Timmy said, playing with his blanket.

"I remember them." Melvin said, sniffing a little. "They were really nice."

"I'm sure they were. Well, Beast Boy misses his parents too, and he doesn't have siblings to tell him good stories like you guys do. So he gets really sad on Mother's Day and Father's Day." Cyborg said.

"He should hang out with us! Then he won't be sad! When Raven takes us to do stuff we aren't sad anymore." Raven blushed at Melvin's praise.

"It's not that easy for Beast Boy. You'll understand when you're older." Raven said. "But I bet if you went and knocked on his door, he wouldn't turn you away." The boys cheered and ran off, Cyborg following them. Starfire smiled at them and stood up to go back to the kitchen when Melvin stopped her.

"Hey Starfire?" Her voice was timid, and she began twirling her pigtails around one finger. "Do you think you could braid my hair? Raven isn't very good at it." Melvin smiled apologetically at Raven, who rolled her eyes. Starfire clapped her hands

"Oh friend Melvin I would be delighted! I have many accessories of the hair in my room; please let us go play with your hair!" Starfire grabbed Melvin's hand and took off down the hall. Raven moved to the stove and put a kettle of water on to boil. Closing her eyes, she took a few deep breaths. The doors opened to reveal Robin, cradling his wrist.

"You're home early Boy Wonder." Raven said, her eyes still closed. Pain and frustration pulsed through their bond, and internally, Raven sighed.

"I decided that punching someone with a broken wrist would make you madder because it would be harder to heal, and you explicitly told me to be safe." He said, grimacing through the pain.

"I explicitly told you to stay out of trouble, but clearly you failed to heed that advice." Raven corrected, finally opening her eyes. The kettle whistled and she poured the hot water over a tea bag. "Go sit on the couch." She ordered. Grabbing her mug, she pressed start on the coffee maker on her way to the couch. She set the mug down and gently took hold of Robin's wrist. Healing magic traveled from her fingertips to his wrist, and she felt the pain ease through the bond.

"Thanks. Where is everyone?" Robin asked. Raven sipped her tea as the doors opened and everyone came flooding in. Trailing at the end of the crowd was Beast Boy, smiling slightly.

Timmy and Teether were whooping and hollering and running around in circles, heading for the couch and the video game system, Cyborg and Beast Boy following, although not screaming. Melvin, whose hair contained more accessories than it should be able to contain, was tugging Starfire's hand toward the computer.

"Raven!" they all three screamed, trying to talk at once.

"Starfire is going to show me videos on how to do my own hair a bunch of different ways!"

"Beast Boy and Cyborg are going to teach us how to play Super Mario!"

Raven groaned, Robin let out a barking laugh, and the maulers cheered even louder.

"Melvin don't you dare go on any websites other than the ones Starfire shows you. Boys, you get to play for one hour and that's it."

"Awww Raven let them have a little more fun than that!" Beast Boy said, setting up the console. "They only come over every once in a while anyway."

"Don't encourage them." Raven muttered, settling down on her end of the couch. "You three can spend the night, but you'll have to go home in the morning." Melvin and her brothers cheered again.

"They wear you down pretty quick, don't they?" Beast Boy said, grinning as he taught the boys how to mash buttons.

"Yes they do," Raven said softly, "Yes, they do."


	6. Swahili

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Teen Titans. All translations came from Google Translate, and the definition of Swahili is from Wikipedia. **

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Swahili: a Bantu language and the first language of the Swahili people. It is a lingua franca of the African Great Lakes region and other parts of Southeast Africa, including Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Mozambique and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The Titans sprawled out on the couch in various stages of exhaustion. They had been woken up by a 6 AM call and it had taken them every bit of 2 hours to chase Johnny Rancid around the city and subdue him.

Cyborg immediately began working on welding his kneecap, his right hand fingers becoming the tools he needed. Robin sat down at the computer and started writing up a report of the morning, absently wiping blood from a cut above his eyebrow. He eyed Raven, noticing the way she allowed Starfire to support most of her weight, and when she propped her leg up on a stack of pillows, he winced at the sight of her ankle turned unnaturally to the side. Star gently placed a bag of frozen peas on the empath's ankle and Raven tipped her head back to rest against the couch, breathing a sigh of relief.

Star and Beast Boy had fared much better, avoiding any major injuries. It had been Star's "righteous fury" that had finally ended the chase with Rancid, tackling him off his bike and into a retention pond. When he tried to climb out and run away, Beast Boy had shifted into an octopus and held him long enough for police to arrive with handcuffs and a squad car. The shifter had impressed Robin with his quick transformations, but it clearly tired him out, as he was asleep within minutes of sitting down. The room was silent aside from Robin's typing and the clink of metal from Cyborg.

Suddenly, Beast Boy sat up, yelled unintelligibly, shifted into a cat, and fell back asleep, purring softly. His outburst was so abrupt that Robin jumped over the back of his chair with his bo staff at the ready and Star and Raven had their hands poised to attack. Only Cyborg didn't flinch.

"Relax ya'll, he's just talkin' in his sleep." He said, fastening his kneecap plate over the wires.

"It did not sound like English," Starfire said curiously as she lowered her hands and flopped back down on the sofa. Cyborg got up and walked around, testing his newly repaired knee.

"It was Swahili." He told them, doing lunges and squats across the room. "His parents taught him."

"I can't believe Beast Boy knows another language, much less one that isn't spoken here." Raven said, astonishment (and possibly a bit of amazement) evident in her voice. Cyborg shrugged as he knelt by her twisted ankle, scanning it with a built in mobile x-ray on his arm.

"He probably didn't think it was important that we know, since it's not like we have a ton of Swahili-speaking villians. Your ankle is broken. If you aren't going to heal it now, then we need to set it and cast it." He glanced up at her. Raven bit her lip, the struggle clear on her face.

"Raven, kama huwezi kufanya hivyo haki, basi si kufanya hivyo wakati wote." Beast Boy said, having shifted back into human form at some point but still not fully awake.

"Er, what?" Robin said, scratching the back of his head. Beast Boy yawned and sat up.

"Why're you all looking at me?" He said, stretching.

"You are not speaking English, and we do not know what you are trying to say." Starfire said, smiling gently. Beast Boy flushed red.

"Oh. Um, sorry about that…" he trailed off. "I tried to say 'if you can't do it right, then don't do it at all.' You don't want to make it worse, just because you're impatient." Raven sighed.

"As much as it pains me to admit it, he's right. I don't think I have enough energy to do it right, so you'll need to set it."

"Ok, on three." Cyborg said, taking hold of her ankle. "One, two, three." Raven gasped, and the light bulbs in the kitchen shattered. Robin and Star leapt up and cleaned the mess while Beast Boy went and found painkillers in the first aid kit.

"Thanks," she breathed and swallowed the tablets dry.

"Kuwakaribisha." Beast Boy said, grinning and sitting next to her as Cyborg wrapped her ankle. Starfire giggled and settled on his other side.

"Friend Beast Boy, teach me the language of Swahili!" She said, clapping her hands.

"Alright, but you'll have to learn the old fashioned way. No offense, but I don't really want to kiss you." He said, catching Robin's sigh of relief. Beast Boy began to teach simple words while Robin and Cyborg got started on breakfast.

Robin brought Raven a mug of tea and a plate of waffles and settled down with his own cup of coffee.

"What other cultural secrets are you hiding from us?" He teased his green friend. Beast Boy grinned.

"I know how to waltz." He admitted. Raven nearly spit out her tea. Even Robin looked impressed. Starfire squealed in excitement.

"Please show me how to waltz!" she exclaimed. Beast Boy laughed at her glee but shook his head.

"Maybe some other time. We wouldn't want Rae-Rae to miss out on the fun, would we?" He winked at her and she scowled at him.

"No thank you." She hissed. Beast Boy stuck his tongue out at her, and she rolled her eyes in return. "How mature."

A while later, after the rest of the team had either returned to their rooms to read (Raven) or to the garage (Cyborg), Robin pulled Beast Boy aside.

"You did a great job today with Rancid." He said. Beast Boy grinned and shrugged.

"I was just doing my job dude. No big deal."

"Still, I wanted you to know I noticed. And you should teach us more about Africa, when you get a chance. It's interesting. Even Raven was paying attention." Robin said. Beast Boy laughed out loud.

"Sure thing dude."


	7. Graduation

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans. Also, I hadn't realized it had been so long since I touched this story. My apologies!**

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Graduation – (noun) the ceremony of conferring degrees or diplomas, as at a college or school.

"Usually I'm the one hiding up here during a party," Raven said as she walked over to Robin. He grinned at her and accepted the proffered glass of champagne.

"It was getting a little loud for me. I was going to come back down in a few minutes, but since you're up here, there's no point in rushing to get back." He responded, sipping the drink.

"We really didn't need a party. People graduate from college all the time." She murmured, staring out at the bay. Robin snorted into his glass.

"True, but you got a degree on top of fighting crime and keeping Beast Boy out of your hair. We have to celebrate that, at least." Raven rolled her eyes but let the smile stay on her face.

"You all do too much for me," she said.

"No." Robin argued. "We don't do enough."

"You pulled me out of Hell, Robin. I think that's the very definition of 'too much,'" Raven scoffed. Robin threw his arm around the empath's shoulders, squeezing lightly. He probably would never tell her, but he was glad she had ditched her cloak for a navy blue shift dress and heels. She looked beautiful, although he figured he would end up in the bay if he said so.

"When your best friend saves the entire world from her demon dad, you do whatever you can to make her happy." Robin said, sipping his champagne.

"Thank you," Raven said, leaning her head on his shoulder.

"You're welcome," he replied. They stood in silence, watching the moon above and the waves below them, listening to the party still going strong below them.

"How long before someone figures out we're missing?" Raven eventually said, breaking the calm. She felt Robin's chuckle reverberate through her, jostling her slightly.

"If they haven't noticed by now, they might not notice at all."

They lapsed back into comfortable silence. They would have stayed up there all night if Beast Boy hadn't come up to find them a few minutes later.

"Dudes! They're up here!" He called down the stairs, loosening his tie and leaving the door open behind him. Raven fought the urge to sigh, her peace and quiet once again broken by the shapeshifter. She loved all the Titans, really she did. It was just Speedy and Kid Flash tended to get a bit more rowdy than she liked, and Star and Bee egged them on, and suddenly something was broken and possibly someone was fighting.

Raven stepped away from Robin, prepared to smile and socialize with whoever was coming up the stairs. But to her surprise, Cy and Star were the only other people to follow Beast Boy to the roof. Cy shut the door behind him and they walked towards their birds, each with a glass of champagne in their hands.

"Friends! Why are you missing your own party?" Star asked, the tulle of her black dress swirling around her as she floated.

Raven and Robin looked at each other.

"We just wanted some air. We didn't think you'd miss us so soon," Robin said, shrugging.

"Well lucky for you, you didn't miss the fireworks!" Cyborg teased. Raven rolled her eyes.

"Too much, Robin," she chided. He just smiled at her. She opened her mouth to tell him off once more when the lights of the fireworks drew her eyes upwards. They watched in relative silence, oohing and ahhing occasionally, which in turn gave Cy a slight ego boost. He pulled out all the stops for her party, Raven thought to herself.

At then end, a smattering of applause could be heard below them, from the partygoers who were watching from inside the common room. Raven shivered from the slight breeze that came off the bay. Without drawing attention to himself, Beast Boy slipped his jacket off and gently laid it on her shoulders.

"Congratulations Rae." He said, lifting his glass. The other three raised theirs as well. "We're proud of you."

"Thank you," she said softly, clinking her glass against theirs. A crash was heard from below, and Cyborg winced. She started to move towards the stairs, but Star put her hand on her shoulder.

"Please, enjoy your night. We will fix it." She said brightly, not upset in the slightest.

"Let me know if anyone's hurt," Raven said, but relaxed anyways. No one could be seriously hurt, although if some technology was broken she imagined Cyborg could send someone to the hospital…

Beast Boy and his mechanical best friend were already halfway towards the door.

"We'll come back down soon." Robin assured Star, who waved and followed the boys. The two left on the roof stood in silence once more. Raven opened her mouth to say something, but Robin stopped her.

"Whatever you're about to say, don't. I can feel you trying to downplay this." Robin chided. Raven had the decency to look sheepish.

"I just don't want this to change anything. I'm not going to stop being a hero just because I can now hold a job."

"We won't let it change you. I'm sure Beast Boy is up to the challenge of keeping you grounded." He assured her. "Now, enough with the seriousness. This is a party! Let's go get some cake."

"I told you no cake!" Raven groaned.

"This is not the hill you want to die on Rae." He threw his arm back around her shoulders and guided her back down to the party.

"Fine. But since it's my party, I'm not helping clean tomorrow." A wicked grin crossed her face. Robin rolled his eyes.

"Deal"


End file.
